Supposedly, the unexamined life is not worth living. That's at least what Socrates said.

A Moral Obligation

Socrates’ and Martin Luther King Jr. can relate on the same level or morality. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Civil Rights Activist who stood up against the racial injustices during the 1960’s. He willingly accepted any punishment in consequence of his nonviolent march in D.C. even if he knew that his peaceful protest was not breaking the law. Socrates died a meaningful death by sticking to his wisdom and philosophies when he, too, knew that Athens was unjust in sentencing him to death for harmlessly expanding the minds of the youth. MLK and Socrates’ are similar in these situations because they both complied with the consequence their country gave them. Their acts of heroism would soon stem into change for their country and their compliance shows their uttermost respect for their country.

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What is important to note is that many people have different values toward their own moral obligations, which therefore affect what one is obligated towards. No matter who you are, no matter what you believe, you still stand by your beliefs until the upper hand, or authority, forces you to stop. Personally, I commend men like MLK and Socrates who stood by their moral obligations and accepted any punishment they were given after fighting for what they valued most. Martin Luther King fought against the black’s discrimination in the 1960’s even though he knew some of his actions would mean he would be put behind bars. Still, he stuck to what he was morally obliged to and open-heartedly accepted harassment and imprisonment. On the other hand, Socrates was aware that he was sentenced unjustly even though he knew he did no harm. His moral obligation was to stick by the fact he did not harm the youth and yet still receive punishment.
To maintain a moral obligation is extremely difficult. Dr. King put up with severe harassment, and Socrates submitted to a death sentence for the same reason; they stuck to the values they set for themselves and showed immense courage. These two men had their moral obligations in order, stuck by them to the end and therefore the beliefs of these two men became influential on many different scales. So influential in fact, here we are today, decades and centuries later studying the morals they strived for. The actions of these powerful men clearly define the essence of a moral obligation.